Laura and I stumbled upon these talented Sevillanos outside a restaurant near the river.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
spring in february
I have been very busy since my return to Seville after New Years. After a final week of 1st semester classes exam period began and only ended (at very long last) last week.
Studying for my exams was stressful -- my entire grade depends on my exam grade in each class. But i am finally done!
Here in Spain students are graded on a scale of 10 and standards are very different here than they are in the US. A 5, which is just passing, is a grade a lot of Spaniards are happy with...a 7 is considered a very good grade here (kind of like a B+), and professors rarely give out 9s and 10s. This is one of the reasons Georgetown and lots of other american universities don't factor grades from your time abroad in Spain into your GPA. Another interesting thing about grades here is that they are posted publicly on department bulletin boards... lovely.
Second semester classes started this past Monday and they are going well so far. I will be taking 2 literature classes, 1 linguistics class, and 2 anthropology classes...I'll write more about the individual courses in a few weeks when I have more of a feel for what they are each like.
The best thing about the past 10 days has been the incredible weather -- generally between 59-63 degrees in the afternoons. I've been enjoying the springy weather with the 2 other full year students, the new 2nd semester students who arrived a few weeks ago, and my best spanish friend / intercambio Jonatán.
Favorite things to do so far this semester:
1) sit in the grass by the river and enjoy chatting with new and old friends in the sunny weather
2) explore my new neighborhood (i had to switch to a new house because my original host mom had to move...in my new house i eat all organic delicious food, have my own bathroom, have access to an amazing terrace with a beautiful view of the city, and am a 5 minute walk away from the oldest bar in Seville...how old? it was established in the 1670s)
3) knit a scarf. I live near a yarn shop now...im turning into an abuela...